Refrigerating apparatus



1938- w. EGGLESTON 2,125,842

REFRIGERAT I NG APPARATUS Filed April 5, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 F16?) I INVENTOR.

M W 65 m K- M M ATTORNEY.

Aug. 2, 1938.

L. W. EGGLESTON REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed April 3, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 INVENTOR. M w. BY 7 W A. M

ATTORNEY.

Patented Au 2, 1938 PATENT OFFICE REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Lewis W. 'Eggleston, Detroit, Mich., assignor to Detroit Lubricator Company, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Application April 3, 1936, Serial No. 72,608

3 Claims.

My invention relates generally to refrigerating apparatus and more particularly to systems wherein the condenser of a refrigerating apparatus is cooled by the water of a domestic water supply system.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a liquid circulatory system for absorbing and conveying heat from a refrigerant condenser for transfer to the water of a domestic water supply system.

Another object of my invention is to provide for the cooling of a refrigerant condenser by the water of a domestic water supply system without danger of contaminating the water by the refrigerant medium in the event of a leak in the refrigerant condenser.

The invention consists in the improved construction and combination of parts, to be more fully described hereinafter and the novelty of which will be particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed. p

In the accompanying drawings, to be taken as a part of this specification, I have fully and clearly illustrated my invention, in which drawings- Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of a cooling system embodying my invention;

along the lineI-I of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view of a modification of the system of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view of another modification embodying my invention.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference and first to Fig. l, the numeral 1 designates a. storage tank or container of a domestic cold water supply system, the tank I having an inlet 2 preferably adjacent its lower end and having an outlet 3 preferably in its top wall.

40 Normally the tank I is completely fllled with cold water for supply to spigots and other outlets (not shown) of .a domestic water supply system of a building. Associated with the tank I there is a refrigerating apparatus which in- 45 cludes a refrigerant flow conduit having a portion 4, or condenser coil, wherein the refrigerant is condensed, the condenser or portion 4 being disposed in the tank I for cooling by the water in the tank. The type of refrigerating apparatus 50 shown includes a refrigerant evaporator coil 5,

a refrigerant compressor 6 and a liquid refrigerant receiver 1, but it will be understood that my invention is applicable to other types of refrigerating apparatus. The outlet end of the 55 evaporator coil 5 is connected to the inlet or suction side of the compressor 6 by a return conduit 8, and the receiver 1 is connected to the inlet of the evaporator coil 5 by a supply conduit 9. The outlet of the compressor 6 is connected to the inlet of the condenser coil 4 by a conduit l0. and the condenser coil is connected to the liquid refrigerant receiver 1 by a conduit ii. Any suitable control device, as at H, may be employed to control the admission of the refrigerant medium to the evaporator coil 5.

Surrounding and enclosing the condenser coil 10 4 in spaced relation thereto there is a conduit i2 having end portions l3 extending externally of the tank I and surrounding portions of the conduits l0 and II. The ends of the conduit i2 are 15 closed and sealed by solder or other suitable means, as at l4. The end portions l3 of the conduit l2 are connected in communication by a vertically extending conduit l5 which cooperates with conduit I! to provide. a closed continuous 20 circulating conduit system. In the circulatory system water or other suitable liquid is contained. The water in the conduit l2 preferably com- 7 pletely fills the annular space between the inner wall surface of the conduit i2 and the outer 5 periphery of the conduit or condenser coil 4, and

' serves to conduct the heat of the condenser coil the tank. As the water in the circulatory system circulates it also absorbs heat from the conduits ill and II and conveys the heat into tank I for abstraction by the water in the tank. Preferably a container I6 is connected into the upper conduit portion iii of the water circulatory system to provide an expansion chamber for the water and also to provide an opening for filling the circulatory system. In the top wall of the container it there is preferably provided an air vent, as at I I, for the escape of air to atmosphere. A water level gauge I8 may also be associated with the container It for indicating the quantity of water in the water circulatory system.

By providing the conduit l2 enclosing the condenser coil 4, it will be seen that contamination of the domestic water supply by the refrigerant in the event of a leak in the coil 4 will be prevented. If a leak shouldoccur in the condenser coil 4, the refrigerant medium would flow into the water in 56 in general by the numeral 20, may be employed" for-opening a port to drain water from the tank upon increase in the temperature of the water to The valve may J a predetermined temperature. be mounted on the top wall of the tank I and may comprise, in general, a valve body 2i having a port controlled by a valve member 22 actuated by a temperature responsive element 22 enclosed by a casing 22 which may extend into the water in tank I. A drain pipe 24 may be connected to the valve body 2| for the passage of water to the sewer when the valve member 22 is opened by the temperature responsive element 23. when the valve member 22 is open, the relatively warm water adjacent the top of tank I will flow out of the tank through conduit 24 to the sewer, while cold water will enter the tank through the inlet 2 until the temperature of the water in the tank decreases such that the temperature responsive element acts to close the valve member 22.

In the operation of the herein described system, gaseous refrigerant is withdrawn from the evaporator coil 5 by the compressor 6 and compressed, after which the compressed refrigerant is delivered by the compressor through conduit III to the condenser coil 4. The refrigerant in the coil 4 is condensed, giving up its heat to the surrounding water in conduit 12 which conducts the heat to the conduit I2 from which it is absorbed by the water in tank I. The liquifled refrigerant flows from coil 4, under the action of the compressor Ii, through conduit II to the receiver 1 from whence it flows through conduit 9 to the evaporator coil 5 under control of the control device I I.

In Fig. 3 there is shown another manner in which a refrigerant condenser may be cooled by the domestic water'supply without danger of the refrigerant contaminating the water in the event of a leak developing in the condenser. In this instance the condenser, designated by the numeral 25, is located externally of the tank I and is surrounded and enclosed by a tank or container 26 which constitutes a part of a liquid circulatory system that has a conduit portion 21 located in the tank I, the portion 21 preferably being coiled so as to have a large conduit surface area in heat transfer relation with the water in the tank. The

container 26 is connected to the inlet end of the coiled conduit 21 by a conduit 28 and is connected to the outlet end of coil 21 by a conduit 29. The continuous circulatory system is preferably completely filled with a suitable heat absorbing and heat conducting liquid such as water, and in the conduit 28 between the container 28 and the coil 21 there is provided a pump in for circulating the water through the closed circulatory system. The compressor 8 is provided with a water jacket 8' surrounding the compressor head and connected in the conduit 29 of the circulatory system so that the heat generated by the compressor will be carried away by the water in the circulatory system for transfer to the water in tank I. The heat of condensation of the refrigerant in condenser is given up to the water flowing through container 26 and conveyed by the water to the coiled conduit portion 21 in tank I where the heat is absorbed by the water in the tank. The relatively colder water leaving the coiled conduit portion 21 passes through conduit 20 "to and through the compressor head, cooling the same and returning to the container 20. As in the system of Fig. 1, it will be seen that in the event of a leak in the condenser coil'25 the refrigerant will escape into the circulatory system and not into the tank I.

The system shown in Fig. 4 is similar to that of Fig. 3 but difl'ers therefrom in that the coiled conduit portion 21 is not located in the tank I but instead is located in a tank 32 which is connected at top and bottom to the main tank I by conduits 32 and 24, respectively. By reason of the relatively warm coiled conduit portion 21 in tank 32 there will be gravity circulation of the water flowing from one tank to the other, which will aid in carrying away the heat of the coiled conduit portion. The relatively warm water at the bottom of tank I will flow through conduit 34 into tank 32 and rising will cool coil 21 and flow through the upper conduit 33 and back into the tank I. It is thought that-the operation of the systems of Figs. 3 and 4 will be apparent from the description of the operation of Fig. 1.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a system of the character described, the combination of a domestic water supply tank, a closed continuous liquid circulatory system having a portion thereof positioned in the water in said tank and having a container externally of said tank, a refrigerating apparatus including a condenser positioned in the liquid in said container, the liquid circulating through said system transferring the heat of said condenser to the water in said tank, and pump means to circulate the liquid through said circulatory system.

2. In a system of the character described, the combination of a domestic water supply tank, a closed continuous liquid circulatory system having a portion thereof positioned in the water in said tank for heat transfer relation therewith and having a container externally of said tank, a--,

refrigerating system including a compressor having a head connected in said circulatory system and a condenser positioned in the liquid in said container and operatively connected to said compressor, and pump means for circulating the liquid in said circulatory system to transfer the heat of the compressor and the heat of the condenser to the water in said tank.

3. In a system of the character described, a domestic water supply tank, a second tank, said tanks being connected together for gravity circulation of the water, a closed continuous liquid circulatory system having a portion thereof positioned in the water in said second-named tank and having a container externally of said secondnamed tank, a refrigerating apparatus including a condenser positioned in the liquid in said container, the liquid circulating through said system transferring the heat of said condenser to the water in said second-named tank, and pump means to circulate the liquid in said circulatory system LEWIS W. EGGLES'I'ON. 

